Confection packaging apparatus



June 25, 1957 w. M. RICH 2,796,711

CONFECTION PACKAGING APPARATUS 7 Filed Sept. 9, 1954 2 Sheets-She et 1 Q 4 INVENTOR. til/ Am: M. R/cn A TTORNE Y8.

June 25, 1957 w. M. RICH ,7

CONFECTION PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 9, 1954 2 ShetS-Sheet 2 INES . 44' F g I 1 7T 160:4

ATTORNEYS.

nited States Patent CONFECTION PACKAGING APPARATUS Willard M. Rich, West Palm Beach, Fla.

Application September 9, 1954, Serial No. 455,029

7 Claims. (Cl. 53-171) This invention relates to packaging apparatus, and more particularly to a machine for filling paper cartons or the like with empty paper cups or such containers, and then filling said cups with measured amounts of materials such as one or more kinds of ice creams or cherbets and/ or syrups, preparatory to delivery of the cup-filled cartons to the ultimate consumer.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a fully automatic machine of the character aforesaid embodying improved means for dispensing in improved manner paper cups or the like into the empty cartons, and then advancing the empty packages successively to the ice cream and syrup dispensing and cup-capping stations of the machine, all in improved manner and at increased speed and with improved sureness of operation, compared to machines previously devised for such purposes.

Other more specific objects of the invention will appear from the specification hereinafter.

One exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a machine of the invention arranged to receive a feed of paper cartons in set-up condition, and to initially dispense into said cartons pluralities of empty paper cups, and then to subsequently fill said cups with comestibles such as ice creams, sherbets, syrups, or the like; and then to individually cap the filled cups incidental to delivery of the loaded cartons to a take-away conveyor;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along line 11-11 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a paper carton of the type adapted to be handled by the machine; the lid thereof being shown in open position;

' Fig. 3A is a perspective view of an apertured cup support partition adapted to be disposed in the carton;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view, on a larger scale, of a portion of the work conveyance mechanism of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along line VV of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a schematic wiring diagram of a portion of the electric power supply and control mechanism of the machine.

As shown in the drawing herewith, the machine of the invention may be conveniently arranged adjacent a carton feed conveyor such as is illustrated fragmentarily at 10 in Fig. 1. This conveyor may of course be of any suitable type, and may be conveniently provided for example in the form of a constantly running endless belt upon the top surface of which a machine attendant will set up a line of empty cartons as indicated at 12. At this point the cartons, assuming they are provided with folding lid portions, are set upon the conveyor belt 10 in upright open-top condition with apertured cup support partitions 13 (Fig. 3) disposed therein, and the lid portions 14 thereof folded back to one side of the line of conveyor movement.

Patented June 25, 1957 To receive the empty cartons, the machine of the invention as illustrated herein comprises a framing structure indicated generally at 15 which is arranged to support for utmost convenience at table-top height a carton conveyor of the endless chain belt type, as indicated at 16.

ice

The conveyor 16 is shown as being carried by paired.

sprockets 17, 18 at the front and rear end portions of the conveyor, respectively. The sprockets 17, 18 are carried by idler shafts 19-19 which in turn are rotatably mounted in pillow block bearing devices, as indicated at 20, supported upon the framework 15, all in conventional manner.

The conveyor 16 is arranged to be advanced in stepby-step manner for purposes to be explained hereinafter, by means of a constantly running electric motor as indicated at 22. The motor 22 drives a worm gear 23 arranged in engagement with a worm Wheel 24 keyed to a drive shaft 25 which in turn is rotatably supported by means of bearings 2626 upon the machine frame. The shaft 25 mounts in keyed relation thereon a clutch 27 arranged to engage a cam wheel 28 which is otherwise mounted in freely rotating relation on the shaft 25. The

wheel 28 is formed at one face with an eccentric cam track 29. A pitman rod 30 having a bifurcated upper end portion 31 is pivotally mounted as indicated at 32 at its lower end upon the machine frame, and at the approximate elevation of the drive shaft 25, the pitman 30 is provided with an integral laterally extending finger 33 which slip-fits into the cam track 29 of the wheel 28. Thus, it will be understood that when the clutch 27 is engaged, as the motor 22 operates it drives through the gear device 2324 the axle 25 and the cam wheel 28, thereby causing the pitman rod 30 to rock from left to right, as viewed in Fig. 1 upon its pivot connection at 32.

The upper ends of the bifurcated portion 31 of the pitman are interconnected by means of a cross bar 34 which engages a push-pull rod 35 running lengthwise of the conveyor just below the upper strand portion thereof; the bifurcated portion 31 of the pitman being so dimensioned and arranged a to straddle the lower strand portion of the conveyor 16 without interference with operation thereof. The other end of the push-pull rod 35 slide-fits through suitably apertured portions of a support bracket 36 which is carried by the machine frame in line with the cross bar 34 of the pitman device. Hence, as the pitman rocks upon its pivot 32, the push-pull rod 35 is caused to reciprocate in directions longitudinally of the conveyor 16.

As shown in greater detail in Fig. 4, the push-pull rod 35 mounts a positionally adjustable bracket 37, which may be conveniently locked in adjusted position thereon as by means of a wing nut and screw device as indicated at 38. A ratchet pawl 40 is pivotally mounted at one end as indicated at 41 to the bracket 37, and a compression spring 42 is disposed between the bracket 37 and the pawl 40 so as to bias the free end of the pawl upwardly into engaging relation as illustrated in Fig. 4 with the cross bar members 44 of the conveyor 16. The rear end portion of the pawl 40 is inclined so that when ever the pawl device is shifted toward the right as viewed in Figs. 1 and 4, the pawl member 40 will cam downwardly under the conveyor cross bars 44, as from the solid line position to the broken line position thereof, as shown in the drawing, whereupon the pawl device will spring upwardly again into engagement behind the next succeeding cross bar member 44 of the conveyor.

Thus, it will be appreciated that as the motor 22 is operated so as to cause the push-pull bar 35 to reciprocate, the pawl device 40 will operate automatically to alternately engage and move the conveyor from right to left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 4, and then to disengage r e 3 from the conveyor and then shift to the right into engagement with another portion of the conveyor and so on; thereby causing the conveyor 16 to be progressively advanced in step=by-step fashion, Hence,-the empty cartons 12 as loaded upon the right hand end portion of the conveyor 16 by feeding'thereon from the conveyor 10, will be progressivelyadvanced from right to left, as viewed in the drawing into successive registry with the operative elements of the machine of the invention, as will now be described. Guide rails as indicated at 4646 areprovided at opposite sides of the conveyor to maintain the cartons in single file alignment.

The machine of the invention is so constructed and arranged that as the cartons 12 are carried by the conveyor 16 from the right hand end of the machine toward the left hand end of the machine as-v-iewed in the drawing, they are brought first into registry with an empty cup loading station such as is indicated generally at 50 in the drawing. This cup loadinggcomponent of the mechanism comprises a vertical stack type cup magazine such as may be of either single or multiple stack form, depending upon whether the empty cartons 12 are to be loaded with single or multiple rows of cups. For example, as shown in the drawing herein, the cartons 12 are dimensioned so as to accommodate three rows of four paper cups each, and consequently the cup magazine and dispenser unit 59 of the mechanism is arranged to embody three vertical magazine stacks of paper cups as indicated at 51, 52, 53 (Fig. 5); the cup stacks being arranged in side-by-side relation, transversely of the conveyor movement.

To this end the cup magazine and dispenser unit may be conveniently constructed to comprise paired vertical rods 54545454 interconnected at their top and bottom ends respectively by cross plates 5556 so as to define therebetween vertically extending slideways freely accommodating in stacked relation therein groups of paper cups as indicated at 51, 52, 53 (Fig. 5). The bottom plate structure 56 is suitably apertured so as to permit passage therethrough of the paper cups downwardly into upstanding positions within the paper cartons 12, as indicated at 57, 58, 59 (Fig. 5). The passage of cups through the bottom plate 56 is controlled by means of a reciprocable' slide plate 69 which is provided with key hole shaped apertures so dimensioned as toalternately engage and vertically support the stacks of paper cups and to dis engage the lowermost cup from each vertical stack to permit it to fall downwardly by gravity into upright standing position in the paper carton therebclow. This action isobtained by causing the slide plate 60 to reciprocate, as in response to rocking of a pivotally connected lever 62 which in turn is actuated by the armature 63' of a sole noid device 64. A tension spring 65 is arranged to bias the arm 62 so as to maintain the slide plate 64? in paper cup holding position; but upon periodic energization of the solenoid 64 the slide plate 60 is thereby actuated so as to simultaneously release and drop the lowermost cups from the magazine stacks 5ll5253.

The mechanism for advancing the conveyor 16, referred to hereinabove is so arranged as to cause the conveyor to advance successively in step-by-step fashion for" such distance as will bring cup receiving openings of the carton partition devices 13 into vertical registry with the cup magazine stacks; and the solenoid device 64 is arranged to be momentarily energized as the conveyor arrives at each successive position of registry so that a paper cup from each vertical stack is then released by the dispensing unit 50 to fall into its corresponding aperture in the cartonpartition device. For this purpose the cross bars 44 of the conveyor 16 are spaced longitudinally of the conveyor at intervals corresponding to the required distance of advancement of the conveyor in order to bring the cup receiving apertures of the carton partitions successively into vertical registry with the carton dispensing unit.. a Y

In order to cause the paper cups to be delivered by the dispensing unit into the carton receiving apertures in improved manner, the dispensing unit framing structure comprising the uprights 54 and the top and bottom plate members are mounted by means of brackets 6S63 (Figs. 1, 2, 5) extending from corresponding vertically telescoping post members 691-69 which straddle the upper flight of the conveyor 16. The bottom ends or" the posts are based on the conveyor table top 70 (Fig. 2), and the upper portions of the telescopic posts 69-69 are arranged to be vertically reciprocated upon the lower post portions 7171 by means of push-rods 7272 which engage the post members 69-69 at their upper ends and engage at their lower ends with a cross bar 74 carried in a pair of vertical slideways 76-76 at opposite sides of the machine. The outer ends of the cross bar 74 are pivotally engaged by the upper ends of corresponding connecting rods 78- '78; the lower ends of which rotatably engage upon crank pins 7979 carried eccentrically by counterbalanced segmental flywheels 80-80 keyed to opposite ends of the main drive shaft 25.

Thus, it will be further appreciated that incidental to rotation of the shaft 25, due to operation of the motor 22, the connecting rods 7878 will cause the bracket structure supporting the cup dispensing unit to reciprocate vertically in the directions indicated by the arrow 82 in Fig. 1. It is a particular feature of the machine of the invention that the cup magazine and dispenser component is mounted for vertical reciprocation as a unit relative to the conveyor 16 and therefore to the empty cartons 12 as they move into position under the dispenser. The mechanism is so dimensioned and arranged that this feature of the invention causes the lowermost cups of the dispenser unit to be thrust downwardly into the corresponding receiving openings of the carton partitions 13 prior to detachmentof said lowermost cups from their respective stacks.

Thus, when the machine is in operation, the bottom ends of the closely compacted and accurately aligned cup stacks are first thrust into the receiving openings of the partition 13. Then the lowermost cup of each stack is disconnected from its support by the dispenser unit, and finally the dispenser. unit moves bodily away and upwardly so as to withdraw from interference with the next progressive movement of the carton. The conveyor then progresses to bring the next row of openings in the carton partition 13 under the dispensing position of the cup stacks; and the operation is then repeated, over and over, commencing with diving movements of the cup dispenser unit downwardly so as to thrust the next lowermost cups firmly into seated positions in the carton; and so on. This action of the machine of the invention provides sure and rapid loadings of cups in the cartons, and accounts for much more capacity compared to dispensing machines relying upon dropping of the empty paper cups from substantial distances into the reecivers, because in such prior arrangements the cups do not fall accurately in place, and are otherwise productive of poor results. A press bar 83 as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 is carried by the reciprocating frame rails 68 to press down upon the carton partitions 13 as the cups are dropped thereinto.

Subsequent to loading of the cups in the cartons the conveyor then operates to move the loaded cartons pr; gressively toward the left as viewed in Figs; 1-4 into registry with the comestible loading station such as is indicated generally at 80. This loading station may comprise any suitable material dispensing arrangement, such as an ice cream or sherbert dispenser as illustrated in the drawing wherein the unit is shown to include a hopper 82 arranged to be fed by a supply pipe 84' and to contain a stirring mechanism as indicated at 35. At the bottom of the hopper the unit includes a metering gear type dispenser unit as indicated at 86; it being underst-ood'that the dispenser mechanism 86 maybe of any suitable type such as disclosed for example in United States Patent No.

2,042,453. In the drawing herewith the dispenser 86 is illustrated to include three dispensing spouts 88-88 arranged in alignment with the three rows of cup receiving openings in the carton partitions 13 as the conveyor moves from right to left, as shown in the drawings. The conveyor is so arranged as to halt the progressive movements of the cartons successively in such positions that the rows of paper cups are intermittently disposed under the row of dispensing spouts 88; and the metering device of the dispenser 86 is arranged to be driven, as by means of a belt or the like as indicated at 89, so as to drop or extrude an accurately metered quantity of ice cream or sherbert or the like into each cup as it moves into vertical registry with the dispensing spouts 88.

To this end the drive belt 89 may be arranged to be motivated by any suitable mechanism, such as for example a one-revolution clutch device as indicated at 90; the clutch device 90 being in turn arranged to be tripped by means of a control lever 92 in synchronism with upand-down movements of the cup dispenser support brackets 68. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, the bracket 68 may be conveniently arranged to extend at one end thereof into registry with a control arm 94 extending from the arm 92 of the clutch 90; the parts being so dimensioned and arranged that whenever the bracket 68 descends to its lowermost solid line position as shown in Fig. 1, it thereupon depresses the control arm 92 against the action of a compression spring 96. This releases the clutch 90 to permit the belt 89 to be driven for one revolution of the clutch device in response to constant rotation of a drive motor 97 which is geared to the clutch 90 through a reduction gear device as indicated at 98. Similarly, the alternate starting and stopping movements of the conveyor 16 are synchronized with operation of the cup dispensing slide 60, as by means of a microswitch as indicated at 100 which is arranged to be closed whenever the cup dispenser support bracket 68 descends as to the solid line position thereof shown in Fig. 1. Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, the solenoid 64 which actuates the cup control slide 60 is energized from any suitable supply line under control of the microswitch 100; a primary stop-start switch button being preferably provided in V the solenoid control line for convenience of'the machine attendant incidental to placing the machine in and out of operation. Similarly, a push button type stop-start switch as indicated at 104 may be conveniently provided in the line of the ice cream dispensing motor 97, and a push-button switch 196 may be provided in the power supply line of the motor 22, all for the convenience of the machine attendant. A safety clutch control treadle bar is indicated at 110 may also be provided to encircle the base of the machine frame so as to be readily available for foot operation at any time whenever it appears necessary to quickly interrupt the operation of the machine by disengagement of the clutch 27, such as incidental to any emergency situation.

As shown in Fig. 1, the machine of the invention may be arranged to deliver the ice cream-filled cup carrying cartons to any desired station for further processing, such as for example to syrup and/or nut or candy crunch dispensing stations such as might in principle comprise duplications of the ice cream or sherbet dispensing unit as indicated at 80; it being understood that the invention is not limited to use only in connection with the standard components as shown in the drawing, but may also be used in connection with any other arrangement or combination of further loading or treating appliances, as may be preferred. For example, as indicated at 112, a cupcapping dispenser may, if desired, be arranged in line with the filled cartons as they leave the conveyor 16 and slide over a surface plate as indicated at 114 onto a takeaway conveyor 115. It is of course well known in the art that several types of perfectly satisfactory cup capping dispensers are presently available on the market, and may be employed in conjunction with the machine of the invention adjacent the delivery end thereof, as indicated at 112 in Fig. 1 thereof. Or, the paper cups dispensed by the unit 50 may be cone-shaped and prior to filling thereof with ice cream or the like, cake cones may be dropped into the paper cones from a cake cone dispenser magazine located over the conveyor between the cup unit 50 and the filler unit 80.

In any case it is a particular feature of the present invention that whereas the cup receiving partitions 13 of the cartons 12 are formed of folded cardboard and normally tend to bow upwardly when first placed in the cartons 12, the downwardly pressing action of the bar 83 and the simultaneous diving motion of the cup dispenser unit just prior to delivery of each row of cups into the carton operates automatically to seat the partition member 13 firmly in the carton incidental to depositing each row of cups therein. Thus, this action of the machine operates automatically to firmly set each row of cups into the partition plate 13, while at the same time looking the partition plate 13 within the container 12. Then, when the cup dispenser withdraws upwardly and leaves behind the deposited row of cups, there is no tendency to pull the partition out of the carton and the cups remain in proper position. It is this operation that accounts for the improved rapidity of operation of the machine.

Whereas the specification and drawings herein describe and illustrate only one possible form of the machine of the invention, it is to be understood that the various mechanical and structural components thereof may be varied and/or modified in any manner as may be preferred; that any materials or combination of materials may be handled by the machine as may be preferred; that the machine may be used in combination with any preferred form of cartons and cups and capping and labeling devices or the like; all without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for filling a succession of cups with flowalble material contained in a hopper having dispensing nozzle means there'below, comprising in combination, a conveyor moving in step-'by-step advancing fashion under said hopper, said conveyor having a surface portion adapted to receive in positionally indexed relation thereon a succession of open-top cartons for containing the cups to be filled, said cartons having slip-fitted thereinto resilient horizontal partition devices apertured to accommodate in seated relation therein the cups to be filled, means for advancing said conveyor so as to bring said cup apertures successively into registration with said dispensing nozzle means, a cup dispensing mechanism mounted above said conveyor in advance of said hopper and comprising an empty cup magazine having empty cups in vertically stacked relation therein, gate means operable for successive release of the lowermost cup from said vertical stack to fall by gravity therefrom, means operable automatically to cause said cup-dispenser mechanism to move downwardly as said conveyor ibrings said cartons into each successively new cup-receiving position so as to cause the lower end portions of said cups to be thrust into said partition apertures while the lowermost cup is still held by said gate means, means operable automatically to thereupon actuate said gate means for gravity release of the lowermost of said stacked cups so as to cause said lowermost cup to thereby remain in seated position in said canton, a press bar carried by said cup-dispensing mechanism and movable therewith so as to simultaneously press downwardly upon said partition members for firmly seating them in said cartons as the cups are dispensed thereinto, means for actuating said matenial dispensing devices for subsequently filling said seated cups, means for subsequently dispensing any desired topping material into said cups, and means for subsequently capping said cups prior to discharge from the machine.

2. A machine for filling a succession of cups with flowable material contained in a hopper having dispensing 'noz- 7 zle'means therebelow, comprising in combination, a conveyormoving in step-by-step advancing fashion under said hopper, said conveyor having a surface portion adapted to receive in 'positionally indexed relation thereon a succession of open-top cartons for containing the cups to be filled, said cartons having slip-fitted thereinto resilient horizontal partition devices apertured to accommodate inseated relation therein the cups to be filled, means for advancing said conveyor so as to bring said cup apertures successively into registration with said dispensing nozzle means, a cup dispensing mechanism mounted above said conveyor in advance of said hopper and comprising an empty cup magazine having empty cups in vertically stacked relation therein, gate means operable for successive release of the lowermost cup from said vertical stack to fall by gravity therefrom, means operable automatically to cause-said cup-dispenser mechanism to move downwardly as said conveyor brings said cartons into each successively new cup-receiving position so as to cause the lower end portions of said cups to be thrust into said partition apertures while the lowermost cup is still held by said gate means, and means operable automatically to thereupon actuate said gate means for gravity release of the lowermost of said stacked cups so as to cause said lowermost cup to thereby remain in seated position in said carton.

3. A machine for filling a succession of cups with flowable material contained in a hopper having dispensing nozzle means therebelow, comprising'in combination, a conveyor moving in step-by-step advancing fashion under said hopper, said conveyor having a surface portion adapted to receive in positiona-lly indexed relation thereon a succession of open-top cartons for containing the cups to be filled, said cartons having slip-fitted thereinto resilient horizontal partition devices apertured to accommodate in seated relation therein the cups to be filled, means for advmoing said conveyor so as to bring said cup apertures successively into registration with said dispensing nozzle means, a cup dispensing mechanism mounted above said conveyor in advance ofsaid hopper and comprising an empty cup magazine having empty cups in vertically stacked relation therein, gate meansoperable for successive release of the lowermost cup from said vertical stack to fall by gravity therefrom, means operable automatically to cause said cup-dispenser mechanism to move downwardly as said conveyor brings said cartons into each successively new cup-receiving position so as to cause the lower end portions of said cups to be thrust into said partition apertures while the lowermost cup is still held by said gate means, means operable automatically to thereupon actuate said gate means for gravity release of the lowermost of said stacked cups so as to cause said lowermost cup to thereby remain in seated position in said carton, and a press :bar carried by said cup-dispensing mechanism and movable therewith so as to simultaneously press downwardly upon said partition members for firmly seating them in said cartons as the cups are dispensed thereinto.

4, A machine for filling a succession of cups with flowable material contained in a hopper having dispensing nozzle means there-below, comprising in combination, a convey-or moving in step-by-step advancing fashion under said hopper, said conveyor having a surface portion adapted to receive in positionally indexed relation thereon a succession of open-top cartons for containing the cups to be filled, said cartons having slip-fitted t-hereinto resilient horizontal partition devices apertured to accommodate in seated relation therein the cups to be filled, means for advancing said conveyor so as to bring said cup apertures successively into registration wi h said dispensing nozzle means, a cup dispensing mechanism mounted above said conveyor in advance of said hopper and comprising an empty cup magazine having empty cups in vertically stacked relation therein, gate means operable for. successive, release of the lowermosttcup from said vertical stack to fall by gravity therefrom, means operable automatically to cause said cup'dispenser mechanism to move downwardly as said conveyor brings said car-tons into each successively new cup-receiving position so as to cause the lower end portions of said cups to be thrust into said partition apertures while the lowermost cup is still held'by'said gate means, means operable automatically to thereupon actuate said gate means for gravity releaseof the lowermost of said stacked cups so as to cause said lowermost cup to thereby remain in seated position in said carton, a press bar carried by said cupdispensing mechanism and movable therewith so as to simultaneously press downwardly upon said partition members for firmly seating them in said cartons as the cups are dispensed thereinto, means for actuating said material dispensing devices for subsequently filling said seated cups, and means for subsequently capping said cups prior to discharge from the machine.

5. A machine for filling a succession of cups with flowable material contained in a hopper having dispensing nozzle means therebelow, comprising in combination a conveyor moving in step-by-step advancing fashion under said hopper, said conveyor being adapted to receive thereon a succession of open-top cantons for containing the cups to be filled, said cartons having therein aperture devices to accommodate in seated relation therein the cups to be filled, means for advancing said conveyor so as to bring said cup apertures successively into registration with said dispensing nozzle means, a cup dispensing mechanism mounted above said conveyor in advance of said hopper and comprising an empty cup magazine having empty cups in vertically stacked relation therein, gate means operable for successive release of the lowermost cup from said vertical stack to fall by gravity therefrom, means operable automatically to cause said cup-dispenser mechanism to move downwardly as said conveyor brings saidcartons into each successively new cup-receiving position so as to cause the lower end portions of said cups to be thrust into said apertures while the lowermost cup is still held by said gate means, means operable automatically to thereupon actuate said gate means for gravity release of the lowermost of said stacked cups so as to cause said lowermost cup to thereby remain in seated position in said carton, and means for actuating said material dispensing devices for subsequently filling said seated cups.

6. A machine for filling a succession of cups with flowable material, comprising a material containing hopper having dispensing nozzle means therebelow, a conveyor moving toward and under said nozzle means, said conveyor carrying a succession of cartons for receiving the cups to be filled, said cartons having cup-holders of horizontal sheet material form apertured to accommodate in seated relation therein the cups to be filled and spaced above the bottoms of said cartons, cup dispensing means mounted above said conveyor in advance of said hopper and including an empty cup magazine having empty cups in vertically stacked relation therein, gate means operable for successive release of the lowermost cup from said vertical stack to fall by gravity therefrom, means actuated automatically concomitantly with motion of said conveyor to cause said cup-dispenser mechanism to move downdwardly as said conveyor brings said cartons into each successively new cup-receiving position so as to cause the lower end portions of said cups to be thrust into said cup-Holder apertures while the lowermost cup is still held by said gate means, means operable automatically to thereupon actuate said gate means for gravity release of the lowermost of said stacked cups so as to cause said lowermost cup to thereby remain in seated position in said carton, and a press bar carried by said cup-dispensing mechanism and movable therewith so as to simultaneously press downwardly upon said cup-holder members for firmly seating them in said cartons as the cups are dispensed thereinto. t

7. A machine for filling a succession of cups with 9 flowable material, comprising a material containing hopper having dispensing nozzle means therebelow, a con veyor moving toward and under said nozzle means, said conveyor carrying a succession of cartons for receiving the cups to be filled, said cartons having cup-holders of horizontal sheet material form apertured to accommodate in seated relation therein the cups to be filled and spaced above the bottoms of said cartons, cup dispensing means mounted above said conveyor in advance of said hopper and including an empty cup magazine having empty cups in vertically stacked relation therein, gate means operable for successive release of the lowermost cup from said vertical stack to fall by gravity therefrom, means actuated automatically concomitantly with motion of said conveyor to cause said cup-dispenser mechanism to move downwardly as said conveyor brings said cartons into each successively new cup-receiving position so as to cause the lower end portions of said cups to be thrust into said cupholder apertures while the lowermost cup is still held by said gate means, and means operable automatically to thereupon actuate said gate means for gravity release of the lowermost of said stacked cups so as to cause said lowermost cup to thereby remain in seated position in said carton.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

